Santiago Calatrava - Criticism

Criticism

Calatrava's work in Bilbao has been criticized for impracticality. The airport lacks facilities and the bridge's glass tiles are prone to break and get slippery under the local weather, which impelled the local administration to add anti-slip treads to its decking, altering the appearance of the bridge. In 2007, Calatrava sued Bilbao for allowing Arata Isozaki to remove a bar from the bridge to connect it to the Isozaki Atea towers. The judge ruled against Calatrava, on the grounds that, although the building design is protected by intellectual property law, public safety is more important than intellectual property. In a 2009 appeal, he received €30,000 in compensation. The Isozaki joint has been cited as both bold and destructive.

Calatrava gifted the Municipality of Venice with the project of a new bridge on the "Canal Grande" in 1996. As of 2007, the project was still under construction and has gone through numerous structural changes, because of the mechanical instability of the structure and the excessive weight of the bridge, which would cause the banks of the canal to fail. In 10 years the project had been inspected by more than 8 different consultants and the cost had risen to three times the original expectations. The work was finally completed in August 2008. The bridge has been criticized for its impractical design; it has many steps embedded in its relatively steep pavement, which makes it uncomfortable to walk on, especially for the elderly. Moreover, it does not have a ramp, so that it cannot be used by wheelchair users.

Some of Calatrava's works have been plagued with cost overruns, secrecy, and construction problems. For example, Calgary's Peace Bridge, which was slated to open in 2010, has been delayed due to faulty welding. As of June 2011, the bridge remained uncompleted.